Rack for securing a vehicle

ABSTRACT

A cycle rack is provided for securing and transporting cycles particularly motorcycles. The rack includes a base and an upward support. In addition, the rack includes a pair of partially circular clamping members which are sized and positioned to engage the sidewalls of a cycle&#39;s tire. Preferably, the clamping members extend circumferentially at least 90 degrees about a circle. Even more preferably, the clamping members extend 180 degrees or more about a circle. To move the clamping members relative to one another, the rack preferably includes a pair of fulcrum assemblies. Each of the fulcrum assemblies include a lever arm which is moved downwardly to force the clamping members towards each other, while the lever arms are moved upwardly to force the clamping members away from one another.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to racks for supportingvehicles. More particularly, the present invention relates to anapparatus for securing and supporting cycles, such as motorcycles andbicycles. The present invention further relates to a device for lockingthe wheels of a cycle and supporting such cycle for storage, maintenanceor transportation.

Hauling motorcycles has never been a particularly simple or easy task.In the past, various attempts have been made including employing specialtrailers which are bulky, heavy and require a license to tow behind acar or truck. In the alternative, motorcycles have been pushed up rampsonto the beds of a pick-up truck for transport. Unfortunately, devicesfor supporting the motorcycle in the back of a pick-up have includedsimple ropes or straps which make the transport of the cycle a riskyundertaking. Moreover, the installation of such straps and other similardevices are time-consuming to secure upon the front wheel of a cycle. Inaddition, novices not used to carrying motorcycles in the beds of theirpick-up truck typically face high anxiety as they are provided noinstruction or education as to what amount of straps is sufficient toproperly secure their motorcycle.

Recently, devices capable of lifting one wheel of a motorcycle off theground for towing behind a car or truck have been developed.Unfortunately, such devices rely on the motorcycle's front fork pivotingin order to negotiate turns which places unwanted stress upon the frontfork of the motorcycle. Moreover, these devices are not accepted by mostmotorcycle manufacturers because the towing arrangement forces the belt,chain, drive shaft and/or gears to turn without adequate lubrication.Since the motorcycle engine must be running to lubricate these parts,damage can be done utilizing such towing constructions. There are alsoseveral bicycle racks on the market which suffer from a variety ofdeficiencies. For example, many bicycle racks require that the frontwheel be removed in order to secure the bicycle to the rack. Thisconstruction provides the disadvantage associated with removing thewheel and the problem with where to store it. Of course, suchconstructions are typically not appropriate for storing a motorcycle asremoval of the front wheel of a motorcycle is a much more difficultprocedure.

There are also a variety of devices for transporting motorcycles andbicycles which lift the cycle off the ground for transportation behind acar or truck. Such a construction is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,084,736.Unfortunately, these lifting racks are cumbersome and mechanicallyintricate devices. The constructions are expensive to build and oftendifficult to disassemble, so they cannot be stored easily when not inuse.

Thus, there is a significant need for a rack for supporting cycles, suchas motorcycles and bicycles.

Preferably, the rack would be suitable for supporting a cycle within thebed of a pick-up truck.

Even more preferable, the rack would be lightweight, easy to use andinexpensive to manufacture.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Briefly, in accordance with the invention, I provide a rack for securingand transporting cycles, particularly motorcycles and bicycles. The rackincludes a frame and a pair of circular clamping members which are sizedto engage and secure the wheel of a vehicle.

The frame includes a base for resting upon a flat surface. In addition,the frame includes an upright support. The base and upright supportinclude any number of horizontal, vertical and lateral beams forproviding a sufficiently stiff frame for supporting the cycle to besupported.

The clamping members are substantially “C” shaped and have asubstantially circular form with an open end to form a partial circle.The circular clamping members are positioned parallel to one another andare connected to the rack's frame. Preferably, though not necessarily,one of the clamping members is fixed firmly in place and is immovablerelative to the frame. Meanwhile, preferably the second clamping memberis moveably connected to the frame so as to move inward and outwardrelative to the first clamping member so as to be able to clamp andrelease a vehicular tire.

To moveably connect the second clamping member to the frame, the rack ofthe present invention further include a series of linkages which maytake various forms. However, in a preferred embodiment, the secondclamping member is affixed to the frame in two places by sliding supportmembers. The sliding support members are preferably welded directly tothe second clamping member at one end. Meanwhile, the sliding supportmembers are slidably attached to the frame by brackets having a slotextending in the direction that the clamping member moves. The supportmembers are affixed to the slotted bracket utilizing a nut and boltcombination, or similar fastener, that allows the support members toslidably connect to the slotted brackets.

To force the second clamping member inward and outward relative to thefirst clamping member, the rack of the present invention includes alocking mechanism. The locking mechanism may take various forms as canbe determined by those skilled in the art. However, a preferred lockingmechanism includes a pair of fulcrum assemblies which are connected bothto the rack's frame and to the clamping members. The fulcrum assembliespreferably include a lever arm which pivotally attaches to the frame sothat rotation of the lever arm causes the second clamping member to moveinward and outward relative to the first clamping member.

In operation, the tire of a cycle, such as the front tire of amotorcycle, is positioned between the two circular clamping members. Thelever arms are rotated so as to force the clamping members together soas to engage and compress the tire of the cycle. To release the tire,the lever arms are rotated in opposite direction to force the clampingmembers apart so as to disengage the sidewalls of the cycle's tire.

Thus, it is an object of the present invention to provide a rack for thecarrying and transporting cycles.

It is an additional object of the present invention to provide a cyclerack which is inexpensive to manufacture and simple to use.

It is still an additional object of the present invention to provide acycle rack which can be used within the bed of a pick-up truck.

These and other specific objects and advantages of the invention will beapparent to those skilled in the art from a review of the followingdetailed description taken in conjunction with the drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the cycle rack of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the cycle rack of the present inventionillustrating its operation in securing the tire of a cycle;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating the cycle rack of the presentinvention securing a cycle within the bed of a pick-up truck;

FIG. 4 is a front view of the cycle rack of the present invention withthe clamping members positioned in a non-clamping condition; and

FIG. 5 is a front view of the cycle rack of the present invention withthe clamping members positioned in a clamping condition.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

While the present invention is susceptible to embodiment in variousforms, as shown in the drawings, hereinafter will be described thepresently preferred embodiment of the invention with the understandingthat the present disclosure is to be considered as an exemplification ofthe invention and it is not intended to limit the invention to thespecific embodiment illustrated.

With reference to the figures, the cycle rack 1 of the present inventionincludes a pair of partially circular clamping members 21 and 23 whichare supported by a frame 3. The clamping members may be any size indiameter. However, it is preferred that the clamping members have thesame size and diameter and that they be positioned parallel to oneanother. Moreover, it is also desirable that each of the clampingmembers be constructed in the form of a partial circle having an openingso as to appear substantially “C” shaped. In addition, it is preferredthat the clamping members be sized to engage the sidewall of a tire tobe supported. Thus, a cycle rack of the present invention for supportinga bicycle would have clamping members much smaller than a cycle rackintended to support a motorcycle.

The partially circular clamping members may also extendcircumferentially from just a few degrees around the circle to 360degrees about a circle. However, it had been found that clamping membersof less than 90 degrees suffers from significant deficiencies insecuring a tire. Accordingly, it is preferred that the clamping membersof the present invention extend circumferentially at least 90 degreesabout a circle. Moreover, it has been found that clamping membersextending more than 180 degrees are even more preferable for graspingand securely affixing a cycle's tire. Accordingly, it is preferred thatthe clamping members extend 180 degrees or more circumferentially aroundthe circle. Preferably, the clamping members do not extend 360 degreesabout a circle as the clamping members would interfere with a cycle'sfront fork.

The cycle rack's frame 3 may be constructed in various manners as can bedetermined by those skilled in the art in order to maintain the clampingmembers vertically parallel to one another and allow the clampingmembers to move horizontally so as to grasp a cycle's wheel. As shown inFIGS. 1-5, the preferred frame 3 includes a plurality of horizontal 9,vertical 11 and lateral 13 beams. The various beams form the frame'sbase 5 which is intended to grasp or mount to any flat surface such aswithin a garage or upon the bed of a pick-up truck (as shown in FIG. 3).The various horizontal, vertical and lateral beams also form an uprightsupport 7 which can be affixed or placed against any vertical surfacesuch as the wall formed behind the cab of a pick-up truck. To facilitateaffixing the frame 3 to vertical or horizontal surfaces, preferably thelateral beams 13 include one or more attachment holes 17 sized forreceipt of fasteners, such as rivets or bolts.

As would be understood by those skilled in the art, both clampingmembers 21 and 23 may be moveable within the horizontal plane relativeto the frame for grasping a tire. However, as shown in the figures, itis preferred that a first clamping member 21 is welded or permanentlyaffixed to the frame with no lateral movement. Meanwhile, the secondclamping member 23 is preferably moveably connected to the frame so asto move laterally inward or outward relative to the first clampingmember 21 for clamping and releasing a tire therebetween. To providelateral movement, the rack of the present invention preferably includesa pair of brackets 29 having internal slots 31. The rack furtherincludes horizontal and vertical support members 25 and 27 which extendfrom the clamping member 23 to slidably engage brackets 29. Thehorizontal and vertical support members 25 and 27 slidably connect tothe brackets 29 using standard nut and bolt fasteners which allow thesupport members to rotatably and slidably engage the brackets.

Various constructions can be utilized to control movement and locking ofthe clamping members relative to one another. As shown in the figures, apreferred mechanism, though not necessarily the only mechanism, includesa pair of fulcrum assemblies 33 and 41 which cause the second clampingmember 23 to slide laterally inward or outward relative to firstclamping member 21. A first fulcrum assembly includes a pair of brackets35, a tension member 39 and a lever arm 37. As understood by thoseskilled in the art, rotation of the lever arm in a downward manner, asshown in FIG. 2 and 5, causes the upper portion of the second clampingmember 23 to move inwardly toward clamping member 21. Conversely,rotation of the lever arm in opposite direction, such as shown in FIG.4, causes the upper portion of the second clamping member 23 to moveaway from the first clamping member 21.

Again with reference to FIGS. 1-5, the cycle racks second fulcrumassembly 41 is positioned to rest upon the base 5. The second fulcrumassembly 41 includes a bracket 43, a compression member 47 and a leverarm 45. As understood by those skilled in the art, and as shown in FIGS.1 and 5, depression of lever arm 45 forces compression member 47,vertical support 27, and correspondingly, the bottom portion of theclamping member 23 to move laterally inward towards the first clampingmember 21. Conversely, movement of the lever arm upwardly in reversemanner causes the compression member 47, vertical support 27 and bottomportion of the second clamping member 23 to move laterally away from thefirst clamping member 21.

As shown in FIG. 4, in operation, the lever arms 37 and 45 are movedupwardly so as to force parallel clamping members 21 and 23 away fromeach other. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the tire 51 of a cycle 49 is thenrolled and positioned between the clamping members so that the clampingmembers engage the tire's sidewalls. Thereafter, as shown in FIGS. 2 and5, the lever arms 37 and 45 are depressed downwardly to force theclamping members towards each other so as to clamp and secure thevehicle's tire.

Although particular preferred embodiments of the invention have beendescribed herein, it is to be understood that variations may be made inthe construction, materials and shape of the cycle rack withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the invention. Having describedthe invention in such terms to enable those skilled in the art to makeand use it, and having identified the presently preferred embodimentsthereof, I claim:

1. a rack for securing a vehicle comprising: a frame including a base for resting upon a support surface; a first partial circular clamping member connected to said frame, said first circular clamping member extending at least 90 degrees about the circle and sized to engage the sidewall of a vehicular tire; a second partial circular clamping member positioned substantially parallel to said first clamping member and moveably connected to said frame so as to move inward and outward relative to said first clamping member for clamping and releasing a tire between said first and second clamping members, said second circular clamping member also extending at least 90 degrees about the circle and sized to engage the sidewall of a vehicular tire; and a locking means for moving said first and second clamping members inward and outward with respect to one another for clamping and releasing a vehicular tire.
 2. The rack of claim 1 wherein said clamping means wherein said first clamping member is not moveable relative to said frame and said second clamping member is moveable relative to said frame for clamping and releasing a tire between said first and second clamping members
 3. The rack of claim 1 wherein said clamping means includes a fulcrum and lever arm.
 4. A rack for securing a vehicle comprising: a frame including a base for resting upon a support surface; a first partial or fully circular clamping member connected to said frame, said first circular clamping member extending at least 180 degrees about the circle and sized to engage the sidewall of a vehicular tire; a second partial or fully circular clamping member positioned substantially parallel to said first clamping member and moveably connected to said frame so as to move inward and outward relative to said first clamping member for clamping and releasing a tire between said first and second clamping members, said second circular clamping member also extending at least 180 degrees about the circle and sized to engage the sidewall of a vehicular tire; and a locking means for moving said first and second clamping members inward and outward with respect to one another for clamping and releasing a vehicular tire.
 5. The rack of claim 4 wherein said clamping means wherein said first clamping member is not moveable relative to said frame and said second clamping member is moveable relative to said frame for clamping and releasing a tire between said first and second clamping members
 6. The rack of claim 4 wherein said clamping means includes a fulcrum and lever arm. 